Can I make the soba noodle salad ahead of time?

Yes! It keeps well for up to 4 days, stored in an airtight container in the fridge. The noodles will absorb some of the dressing as they sit, so you might want to loosen them up with a splash of water, lime juice, or soy sauce.

Can I use another type of noodle for the salad?

Udon noodles, regular egg noodles, or rice noodles are good alternatives to soba noodles for this salad. You could even use spaghetti to make this if you like.

What can I serve with the soba noodle salad?

I think the salad is filling enough on its own, especially for lunch, but there are easy ways to bulk it out. Pair it with grilled or shredded chicken - miso chicken , satay chicken skewers , or sticky gochujang chicken would be great. Or, you could serve it with grilled salmon (like this miso maple salmon ), shredded or pan-fried tofu, or sweet chili glazed halloumi .

What else could I add to the soba noodle salad?

This is a super customizable recipe, and you can make it your own once you have the base. You could use asparagus, cauliflower, green beans, edamame, broad beans, peas, spinach, red peppers, onion... All of those would be delicious in this, so you can improvise with whatever you have in your fridge or freezer. Or, throw in shredded chicken, tofu, flaked salmon, canned tuna, or chunks of pan-fried halloumi to add more protein.

Saucy Sesame Soba Noodle Salad

Name: Saucy Sesame Soba Noodle Salad
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 20 min
Cuisine: asian
Ingredients: ¼ cup tahini (or use unsweetened peanut butter); 2 tablespoons light soy sauce (or tamari); 1 tablespoon sesame oil; 2 tablespoons rice vinegar (or use white wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar); 1 tablespoon sweet chili jam (or sweet chili sauce, or honey); 1 tablespoon chili oil (or chili crisp); 2 garlic cloves, crushed; 1-inch piece of fresh ginger, grated; 1 to 3 tablespoons cold water, to loosen as needed; 7oz (200g) dried soba noodles; 1 cucumber; 3.5oz (100g) broccolini (or use regular broccoli), chopped into small pieces; 2 scallions (spring onions), chopped finely; Handful of cilantro (coriander), chopped; 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds, plus extra to serve; 1 scallion (spring onion), thinly sliced lengthways, and put in a glass of water to curl up (optional); Extra chili oil or chili crisp

Description

In just 20 minutes, you could be enjoying this DELICIOUS super saucy sesame soba noodle salad. It’s fresh, crunchy, creamy, a little spicy, and perfect for busy weeknights, hot days, meal prep, or easy lunches. Plus, you can easily adapt it with whatever veggies, herbs, or protein you have on hand.

Ingredients

Units Scale

For the sauce -

1/4 cup tahini (or use unsweetened peanut butter)
2 tablespoons light soy sauce (or tamari)
1 tablespoon sesame oil
2 tablespoons rice vinegar (or use white wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar)
1 tablespoon sweet chili jam (or sweet chili sauce, or honey)
1 tablespoon chili oil (or chili crisp)
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1-inch piece of fresh ginger, grated
1 to 3 tablespoons cold water, to loosen as needed

For the salad -

7oz (200g) dried soba noodles
1 cucumber
3.5oz (100g) broccolini (or use regular broccoli), chopped into small pieces
2 scallions (spring onions), chopped finely
Handful of cilantro (coriander), chopped
1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds, plus extra to serve

To serve -

1 scallion (spring onion), thinly sliced lengthways, and put in a glass of water to curl up (optional)
Extra chili oil or chili crisp

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Instructions

Make the sesame dressing. Add ¼ cup of tahini, 2 tablespoons of light soy sauce, 1 tablespoon of sesame oil, 2 tablespoons of rice vinegar, 1 tablespoon of chili oil, 1 tablespoon of sweet chili jam, the crushed garlic, and grated ginger to a mixing bowl. Mix vigorously with a fork until smooth and creamy. If the dressing looks a bit thick, mix in a little water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until it’s pourable. Taste, then adjust with more rice vinegar for brightness, or chili oil for heat.
Smack the cucumber. Slice the ends off the cucumber, then lay it on a chopping board. Use a rolling pin to smack it firmly, up and down the whole cucumber, until it cracks and splits. Slice it in half lengthways, scoop out the watery seeds, then chop into smaller pieces. The reason for ‘smacking’ the cucumber is to end up with lots of craggy edges the dressing can cling to – you can skip the step if you like, but I recommend it.
Cook the soba noodles. Bring a large pot of water to a boil, then cook the soba noodles according to the packet instructions (usually about 5 minutes). While they cook, fill a large bowl with cold water. Drain the noodles, then plunge them into the cold water. Use your hands to gently massage and scrunch them for about 30 seconds. Drain, then repeat that process again. Leave them in a colander for any excess water to drain away for a minute or two. This slightly strange technique helps prevent the noodles from going gummy and sticking together.
Blanch the broccolini. Place the broccolini in a large, heatproof bowl. Boil your kettle, then pour the boiling water into the bowl to cover the broccolini. Leave for 2 minutes, then drain in a colander, rinse with cold water, and set aside.
Mix the noodle salad. Add the drained soba noodles to a large mixing bowl, along with the smacked cucumber, broccolini, chopped scallions, cilantro, and sesame seeds. Pour over the dressing, then toss everything together really well to make sure the noodles are well coated.
Garnish and serve. Divide between plates or bowls, then sprinkle with more toasted sesame seeds, the curly scallion strips, and an extra drizzle of chili oil if you like.

Notes

STORAGE INSTRUCTIONS: This is a great make-ahead salad. You can assemble the whole thing and then store it in a container in the fridge until you’re ready to serve. It will last well for 4 days.

SERVING SUGGESTIONS: This is a meal in itself, but you can bulk it out with some sticky gochujang chicken, miso grilled chicken or miso salmon. Adding sweet chili glazed halloumi slices on top would also be delicious.

SUBSTITUTIONS: If you don’t have soba noodles, udon or rice noodles are great alternatives. Play around with your veggies – green beans, edamame, peas, sugar snap peas, zucchini, or asparagus are great additions.

Prep Time: 10
Cook Time: 10
Category: salads
Method: stove top
Cuisine: asian

Nutrition

Serving Size: 350g
Calories: 560
Sugar: 5.7g
Sodium: 1912mg
Fat: 28.1g
Saturated Fat: 3.2g
Carbohydrates: 65.9g
Fiber: 3.8g
Protein: 16.1g
Cholesterol: 0mg